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Why do you think prices are down because of coronavirus? Prices seem a little higher to me this year and I thought it was because of higher demand due to the coronavirus. With the high demand on chicks and seeds and such.

Re: Will the Wuhan coronavirus negatively affect the beekeeping industry?

Originally Posted by username00101

because of the Wuhan coronavirus/Wuhan pneumonia/Chinese virus, or whatever you'd like to call it.

I would like to call it Covid-19, it's official name, or simply the corona virus.

I think people that live near large package and nuc producers may see prices go down in their area as the travel restrictions and shipping delays make product movement difficult. Conversely, folks that are unable to get their nucs and packages may cause local prices to increase, a good thing for a hobbyist with just a few nucs available.

Re: Will the coronavirus negatively affect the beekeeping industry?

I don't know if nucs are down in price or not and if so it's because of the virus or something else but the beekeeping industry is much bigger than just nucs.
Going forward, frivolous spending, oops, I mean discretionary spending decreases in a direct relationship to the deepness of the economic downturn.
Same as it ever was, same as it ever was.

Re: Will the coronavirus negatively affect the beekeeping industry?

Re: Will the coronavirus negatively affect the beekeeping industry?

It will only affect what we stupidly allow it to. Let me ask you what seems more intelligent. Option a we close down the whole economy and force perfectly healthy people who have a zero chance of death from this "virus" to quarantine. This causes massive unemployment and suffering across the board. Or we could've all used our brains (something people don't do when they're AFRAID) had sick and immune compromised people quarantine and the rest of us healthy people could've kept on keeping on. The economy doesn't tank, there isn't massive suffering across the board.... No you know what everyones right let's listen to daddy gov. option A. is clearly the right choice.... FEAR IS THE VIRUS!

Re: Will the coronavirus negatively affect the beekeeping industry?

well vtbeeguy I was talking to a nurse from the local hospital, the average age of virus deaths in NY is 49. I agree with the old/in-firmed quarantining, but assisted living etc, jails, all the nurses or guards have to stay on site until it's over. when everyone has been infected the virus will not be a problem.

mike syracuse ny
Whatever you subsidize you get more of. Ronald Reagan

Re: Will the coronavirus negatively affect the beekeeping industry?

Going forward, frivolous spending, oops, I mean discretionary spending decreases in a direct relationship to the deepness of the economic downturn.
Same as it ever was, same as it ever was.

This is about what I am thinking. If people are unemployed/unsure about future employment they are a lot less likely to start a new hobby or put as much discretionary spending into one they already have. Most people will put paying rent/mortgage/utilities/food in front of hobbies.

Re: Will the coronavirus negatively affect the beekeeping industry?

- the lockdown hinders migration of bees. Although there are exceptions and permissions, in some cases the districts are not allowing to let the beekeepers+bees out or in.

- it is sometimes difficult to get health certifications for migration and or selling bees, because the personal is either not coming out to inspect the hives or it has other things to do (corona).

- most markets are closed. Beekeepers here have to sell a lot of honey directly to the customers, because the bulk prizes are pretty bad. Since farmer's markets, hotels and restaurants are shut down, you can't sell honey through those channels.

- the supply chains are instabile. So there are extra costs for the careful beekeepers at an early time of the season to stock up fodder, varroa treatments and honey jars. You never know...

On the plus side some customers panic-buy honey, so the extra costs and loss is evened somewhat.

Re: Will the coronavirus negatively affect the beekeeping industry?

Originally Posted by elmer_fud

This is about what I am thinking. If people are unemployed/unsure about future employment they are a lot less likely to start a new hobby or put as much discretionary spending into one they already have. Most people will put paying rent/mortgage/utilities/food in front of hobbies.

I too believe this, well for the ones that know how to manage their money. For those that have that cash reserve/Play money we may buy things for that Hobby we already have but with in reason.

I do wonder how many people decided not to buy their bees after this all happened.
Do the people that bring bees (pkg & Nucs) up North have the money for what they are bringing BEFORE they come? Hope they do because if the above is true they may be stuck with a lot of bees

Re: Will the coronavirus negatively affect the beekeeping industry?

- the lockdown hinders migration of bees. Although there are exceptions and permissions, in some cases the districts are not allowing to let the beekeepers+bees out or in.

- it is sometimes difficult to get health certifications for migration and or selling bees, because the personal is either not coming out to inspect the hives or it has other things to do (corona).

- most markets are closed. Beekeepers here have to sell a lot of honey directly to the customers, because the bulk prizes are pretty bad. Since farmer's markets, hotels and restaurants are shut down, you can't sell honey through those channels.

- the supply chains are instabile. So there are extra costs for the careful beekeepers at an early time of the season to stock up fodder, varroa treatments and honey jars. You never know...

On the plus side some customers panic-buy honey, so the extra costs and loss is evened somewhat.

-Travel has not been a problem for me working my bees in 2 states, both consider agriculture essential.

-Inspections are not a issue or so I'm told. Looks like I'll find out sooner rather than later as a grower is interested in my pollination services and I'll have to move bees between states. Still a few weeks away from inspections required for queen sales.

-I too sell direct to consumer. Our farmers markets are slated to open, in fact there is some excitement in anticipation of opening day by both
farmer an customer. I worry raw local honey prices will not hold up this year, feel fairly certain demand will be there though.

-Supplies for bees are moving through the system well so far.

Only time will tell where this all ends up.
Have a good season, stay well.

Re: Will the coronavirus negatively affect the beekeeping industry?

Most bee sales are done by now so I doubt people will be stuck with packages and nucs they can't sell. The reaction to this virus has been worse than the underlying virus itself. Maybe if everyone stopped believing known liars (the mainstream media) and calmed tf down we would be fine. But no you guys are right we should trust the people who brought us gems like WMD in Iraq......just saying people

Re: Will the coronavirus negatively affect the beekeeping industry?

There is significant upheaval in Beekeeping in Alberta and ?? across Canada.

1. Alberta beekeepers purchase packages from New Zealand and Australia. These packages will not be available in Alberta/??Canada due to very limited air flights and flight restrictions. This will seriously impact package producers in Australia and New Zealand and beekeepers wanting packages of bees.

2. Commercial Beekeepers employ Temporary Foreign Workers from Central America, Caribbean Islands, etc and due to border closures and flight restrictions, some of these workers will not be arriving. The beekeeping season is soon to start.

3. Alberta imports queens from California, Hawaii, and Chile. There is lots of questions around flights(frequency, border closures, chartered flights, cost), length of time queens will be in transport and queen quality. These are not good omens for queen breeders outside of Canada.

Zone 3b. If you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got!

Re: Will the coronavirus negatively affect the beekeeping industry?

Originally Posted by vtbeeguy

It will only affect what we stupidly allow it to. Let me ask you what seems more intelligent. Option a we close down the whole economy and force perfectly healthy people who have a zero chance of death from this "virus" to quarantine. This causes massive unemployment and suffering across the board. Or we could've all used our brains (something people don't do when they're AFRAID) had sick and immune compromised people quarantine and the rest of us healthy people could've kept on keeping on. The economy doesn't tank, there isn't massive suffering across the board.... No you know what everyones right let's listen to daddy gov. option A. is clearly the right choice.... FEAR IS THE VIRUS!

It's easy to be brave and cavalier when you're not near the epicentre. I'm feeling pretty brave right now too - but only because this area isn't affected much (yet). In cities such as London and New York, people are going down like nine-pins. Doctors are dying, nurses are dying, children are dying - no-one's exempt. People have every right to be scared - 'cause in a week's time they could also be dead.
The problem in Britain right now is that some morons are not scared enough, and are flouting the emergency rules. It's a pity the virus isn't more selective ...
LJ

Re: Will the coronavirus negatively affect the beekeeping industry?

Originally Posted by vtbeeguy

It will only affect what we stupidly allow it to. Let me ask you what seems more intelligent. Option a we close down the whole economy and force perfectly healthy people who have a zero chance of death from this "virus" to quarantine. This causes massive unemployment and suffering across the board. Or we could've all used our brains (something people don't do when they're AFRAID) had sick and immune compromised people quarantine and the rest of us healthy people could've kept on keeping on. The economy doesn't tank, there isn't massive suffering across the board.... No you know what everyones right let's listen to daddy gov. option A. is clearly the right choice.... FEAR IS THE VIRUS!

Re: Will the coronavirus negatively affect the beekeeping industry?

The reaction to this virus has been worse than the underlying virus itself. Maybe if everyone stopped believing known liars (the mainstream media) and calmed tf down we would be fine.

I have been looking at what is going on in Italy and that has me concerned. I also had(have) a high school classmate in the hospital from this. I am in my 30's so this gives me some perspective on who it is hitting.

I am going to stop here. This thread is not supposed to be about the overall politics and media of coronaviris right now, it is about how we think this is going to affect the beekeeping industry.

Re: Will the coronavirus negatively affect the beekeeping industry?

There are still Pkg and Nucs available here in Boston area. In the last few years that I looked they were all sold out by about mid March IIRC.
So I am surprised that VT is sold all they have to sell this year